Marin sheriff and officials plan forum on new immigration law

Marin County officials are planning a community forum Tuesday to discuss the implementation of Assembly Bill 4, an immigration bill also known as the Trust Act.

Under the legislation, which was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October, local law enforcement agencies are barred from detaining people on federal immigration holds after their local cases are resolved, unless they have been convicted of certain serious or violent crimes.

The law is intended to prevent people from being held without due process and from being deported erroneously.

The Legislature also said the federal government has not been reimbursing the state for the full cost of the detainers.

The forum is being sponsored by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. The invited panelists include Sheriff Robert Doyle, District Attorney Ed Berberian, Public Defender Jose Varela and Angie Junck, an attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco.

"I think it's helpful for the sheriff and others to clarify how the Trust Act will be handled at the local level and for residents to voice any concerns they may have," Varela said.